Indian society is extremely complex, particularly in the twentieth century. However, this complexity has not been captured by Indian social theory. One reason is the theoretical burden caused by ...
More

Indian society is extremely complex, particularly in the twentieth century. However, this complexity has not been captured by Indian social theory. One reason is the theoretical burden caused by historical events such as colonialism, which incidentally brought modernity to India. Western modernity is mainly normative, and its norms include the concept of autonomous individual, freedom, and instrumental rationality. This normative project is sought to be ruthlessly implemented through modern programmes of secularism, nationalism, urbanization, and industrialization where the pre-modern is sought to be disinherited. This book explores the limitations surrounding Indian social theorists' views on Indian society. It discusses Partha Chatterjee's perspectives on Indian nationalism, Javeed Alam's interpretation of Indian secularism and the use of plural character of Indian society by some Indian social scientists, and Gopal Guru's proposal to move Dalits' lived experience from literature into social theory. The book also examines the limitations surrounding the reading of contemporary texts and activities of thinkers such as Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, B.R. Ambedkar, and Aurobindo Ghosh.Less

Modernity in Indian Social Theory

Published in print: 2011-02-03

Indian society is extremely complex, particularly in the twentieth century. However, this complexity has not been captured by Indian social theory. One reason is the theoretical burden caused by historical events such as colonialism, which incidentally brought modernity to India. Western modernity is mainly normative, and its norms include the concept of autonomous individual, freedom, and instrumental rationality. This normative project is sought to be ruthlessly implemented through modern programmes of secularism, nationalism, urbanization, and industrialization where the pre-modern is sought to be disinherited. This book explores the limitations surrounding Indian social theorists' views on Indian society. It discusses Partha Chatterjee's perspectives on Indian nationalism, Javeed Alam's interpretation of Indian secularism and the use of plural character of Indian society by some Indian social scientists, and Gopal Guru's proposal to move Dalits' lived experience from literature into social theory. The book also examines the limitations surrounding the reading of contemporary texts and activities of thinkers such as Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, B.R. Ambedkar, and Aurobindo Ghosh.

Some social theorists in India, including Partha Chatterjee, Javeed Alam, and Gopal Guru, have failed to recognize the core project of modernity and its social consequences. Instead, they were ...
More

Some social theorists in India, including Partha Chatterjee, Javeed Alam, and Gopal Guru, have failed to recognize the core project of modernity and its social consequences. Instead, they were preoccupied with the themes of modernity including reason or the ‘cunning of reason’, ‘individualism’ or ‘individuation’, nationalism, secularism, and universalism. This prevented them from recognizing the internal project of modernity. This also prevented others from seeing some important and unique issues including internal criticism that is evident in the writings of contemporary Indian thinkers like Swami Vivekananda, and prevented them from identifying a third kind of action in Mahatma Gandhi, namely, inaction. This book argues that, unlike the West, social theory in India was unable to grasp the philosophical foundations of modernity that lies in its method.Less

Conclusion

A. Raghuramaraju

Published in print: 2011-02-03

Some social theorists in India, including Partha Chatterjee, Javeed Alam, and Gopal Guru, have failed to recognize the core project of modernity and its social consequences. Instead, they were preoccupied with the themes of modernity including reason or the ‘cunning of reason’, ‘individualism’ or ‘individuation’, nationalism, secularism, and universalism. This prevented them from recognizing the internal project of modernity. This also prevented others from seeing some important and unique issues including internal criticism that is evident in the writings of contemporary Indian thinkers like Swami Vivekananda, and prevented them from identifying a third kind of action in Mahatma Gandhi, namely, inaction. This book argues that, unlike the West, social theory in India was unable to grasp the philosophical foundations of modernity that lies in its method.

A distinctive aspect of Hindu devotion is the veneration of a human guru, who is not only an exemplar and a teacher, but is often worshipped as an embodiment of the divine. In the past these gurus ...
More

A distinctive aspect of Hindu devotion is the veneration of a human guru, who is not only an exemplar and a teacher, but is often worshipped as an embodiment of the divine. In the past these gurus have almost always been men. Today, however, female gurus are a noticeable presence, especially in the United States. This book containing nine chapter looks at the phenomenon of the female guru both in its original Indian context, where Hindu women leaders have been unusual but not unknown, and as it has evolved on the American scene. Each chapter is devoted to a particular female guru, ranging from the 5th-century Tamil saint Karaikkal Ammaiyar to Gurumayi, who today presides over the worldwide movement of Siddha Yoga, headquartered in the Catskill resort town of South Fallsburg, New York.Less

The Graceful Guru : Hindu Female Gurus in India and the United States

Karen Pechilis

Published in print: 2004-08-05

A distinctive aspect of Hindu devotion is the veneration of a human guru, who is not only an exemplar and a teacher, but is often worshipped as an embodiment of the divine. In the past these gurus have almost always been men. Today, however, female gurus are a noticeable presence, especially in the United States. This book containing nine chapter looks at the phenomenon of the female guru both in its original Indian context, where Hindu women leaders have been unusual but not unknown, and as it has evolved on the American scene. Each chapter is devoted to a particular female guru, ranging from the 5th-century Tamil saint Karaikkal Ammaiyar to Gurumayi, who today presides over the worldwide movement of Siddha Yoga, headquartered in the Catskill resort town of South Fallsburg, New York.

This chapter addresses women's roles in Tantra, examining how and whether women function as actors within Tantric rites or to what degree they function merely as objects of male desire. This chapter ...
More

This chapter addresses women's roles in Tantra, examining how and whether women function as actors within Tantric rites or to what degree they function merely as objects of male desire. This chapter argues that Tantric texts are varied, offering a multiplicity of views. Particularly, this chapter presents evidence from Tantric sources associated with the Northeast region of India in the fifteenth through eighteenth centuries for a particular Tantric tradition that accords women respect and in which we find women as gurus and initiates. This chapter proposes that the model for understanding the veneration of women in these texts finds a parallel in the veneration of the Brahmin, where women in these texts are by analogy likened to Brahmins.Less

The “Kālī Practice” : Rereading Women's Roles in Tantra

Loriliai Biernacki

Published in print: 2008-05-01

This chapter addresses women's roles in Tantra, examining how and whether women function as actors within Tantric rites or to what degree they function merely as objects of male desire. This chapter argues that Tantric texts are varied, offering a multiplicity of views. Particularly, this chapter presents evidence from Tantric sources associated with the Northeast region of India in the fifteenth through eighteenth centuries for a particular Tantric tradition that accords women respect and in which we find women as gurus and initiates. This chapter proposes that the model for understanding the veneration of women in these texts finds a parallel in the veneration of the Brahmin, where women in these texts are by analogy likened to Brahmins.

This book presents a comprehensive account of Sikh history and tradition, beginning with the founding of the community to the impact of modernity on Sikh institutions in the Punjab. It discusses ...
More

This book presents a comprehensive account of Sikh history and tradition, beginning with the founding of the community to the impact of modernity on Sikh institutions in the Punjab. It discusses issues like conscious conceptualization of a new dispensation, process of community formation, social transformation and politicization leading to the emergence of a new political order. It brings out the cumulative implications of these processes on the evolution of Sikh identity. Fourteen essays cover Sikh literature from the early sixteenth century to the early twentieth century and reflect identity consciousness in Mughal, Sikh, and colonial rule in Punjab. The book looks at the compositions of five Gurus: Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, and Guru Arjan along with other Sikh theologians and historians to reflect upon the changing socio-political context. Highlighting the intricate connections between literature and historical processes, it also presents the life of Guru Tegh Bahadur and explores Sikh nationality, Sikh faith, and the Khalsa.Less

History, Literature, and Identity : Four Centuries of Sikh Tradition

Published in print: 2011-05-12

This book presents a comprehensive account of Sikh history and tradition, beginning with the founding of the community to the impact of modernity on Sikh institutions in the Punjab. It discusses issues like conscious conceptualization of a new dispensation, process of community formation, social transformation and politicization leading to the emergence of a new political order. It brings out the cumulative implications of these processes on the evolution of Sikh identity. Fourteen essays cover Sikh literature from the early sixteenth century to the early twentieth century and reflect identity consciousness in Mughal, Sikh, and colonial rule in Punjab. The book looks at the compositions of five Gurus: Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, and Guru Arjan along with other Sikh theologians and historians to reflect upon the changing socio-political context. Highlighting the intricate connections between literature and historical processes, it also presents the life of Guru Tegh Bahadur and explores Sikh nationality, Sikh faith, and the Khalsa.

The Sikh community has made its presence felt throughout the world. Focusing on globalization, this book presents Sikh history, politics, identity, music, ethics, material culture, the worldwide Sikh ...
More

The Sikh community has made its presence felt throughout the world. Focusing on globalization, this book presents Sikh history, politics, identity, music, ethics, material culture, the worldwide Sikh diaspora, and the history and current state of scholarship in the field of Sikh Studies. The book describes the internal differences of caste, community, and gender within Sikhism, as well as the use of modern media to disseminate and construct the frameworks of Sikhism. It also stresses the importance of internal dynamics within the Sikh community and external factors (such as local experiences in different countries) for comprehending the processes of change visible among Sikhs from the global point of view. The essays question the conventional premises of Sikh studies by breaking away from an emphasis on history and text, and look at Sikh practices from the ‘lived religion perspective.’ The place of the Guru Granth Sahib as a perennial source of human understanding, non-violent movements in Sikh history, Sikh music, and Sikh miracles are also discussed.Less

Sikhism in Global Context

Published in print: 2011-10-13

The Sikh community has made its presence felt throughout the world. Focusing on globalization, this book presents Sikh history, politics, identity, music, ethics, material culture, the worldwide Sikh diaspora, and the history and current state of scholarship in the field of Sikh Studies. The book describes the internal differences of caste, community, and gender within Sikhism, as well as the use of modern media to disseminate and construct the frameworks of Sikhism. It also stresses the importance of internal dynamics within the Sikh community and external factors (such as local experiences in different countries) for comprehending the processes of change visible among Sikhs from the global point of view. The essays question the conventional premises of Sikh studies by breaking away from an emphasis on history and text, and look at Sikh practices from the ‘lived religion perspective.’ The place of the Guru Granth Sahib as a perennial source of human understanding, non-violent movements in Sikh history, Sikh music, and Sikh miracles are also discussed.

The Sikhs produced a wealth of literature during the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. A historical analysis of this literature can help elucidate the Sikh tradition and better understand Sikh ...
More

The Sikhs produced a wealth of literature during the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. A historical analysis of this literature can help elucidate the Sikh tradition and better understand Sikh history. This book presents the history of the Sikhs, focusing on their literature, ideology, identity, faith, and nationalism. It looks at the compositions of five Gurus as the articulation of a new dispensation: Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, and Guru Arjan. It also analyses the compositions of Guru Tegh Bahadur in a phase of confrontation with the state. The book examines the mission of Guru Gobind Singh, declared in the Bachittar Nātak as an irrevocable commitment to righteous war, and discusses Sikh literature of Khalsa Raj as well as Bhai Gurdas’s eloquent expression for a distinctive identity of Gursikhs, the literature produced at the court of Guru Gobind Singh, the Khalsa Panth, and the Sikh writers’ use of tisar panth in their works to distinguish the Khalsa from Hindus and Muslims.Less

Introduction

J.S. Grewal

Published in print: 2011-05-12

The Sikhs produced a wealth of literature during the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries. A historical analysis of this literature can help elucidate the Sikh tradition and better understand Sikh history. This book presents the history of the Sikhs, focusing on their literature, ideology, identity, faith, and nationalism. It looks at the compositions of five Gurus as the articulation of a new dispensation: Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, and Guru Arjan. It also analyses the compositions of Guru Tegh Bahadur in a phase of confrontation with the state. The book examines the mission of Guru Gobind Singh, declared in the Bachittar Nātak as an irrevocable commitment to righteous war, and discusses Sikh literature of Khalsa Raj as well as Bhai Gurdas’s eloquent expression for a distinctive identity of Gursikhs, the literature produced at the court of Guru Gobind Singh, the Khalsa Panth, and the Sikh writers’ use of tisar panth in their works to distinguish the Khalsa from Hindus and Muslims.

With a combination of ancient patriarchal values and twenty-first-century globalization exerting social influence, the proportion of baby girls is declining rapidly in India. Ironically, the ...
More

With a combination of ancient patriarchal values and twenty-first-century globalization exerting social influence, the proportion of baby girls is declining rapidly in India. Ironically, the technological and economic advancements in the Punjab have only exacerbated the practice. Neonatal sex identifications through ultrasound have made gender-selective abortions increasingly easy, though they remain illegal. Can literature succeed where laws are failing? The land where female fetuses are being aborted is also the land of Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth, which resonates with powerful fetal imagery. This chapter examines fetal images within the literary folds of the Guru Granth. The basic premise here is that literature has the capacity to change both conscience and consciousness.Less

Female Feticide in the Punjab and Fetus Imagery in Sikhism

Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh

Published in print: 2008-12-12

With a combination of ancient patriarchal values and twenty-first-century globalization exerting social influence, the proportion of baby girls is declining rapidly in India. Ironically, the technological and economic advancements in the Punjab have only exacerbated the practice. Neonatal sex identifications through ultrasound have made gender-selective abortions increasingly easy, though they remain illegal. Can literature succeed where laws are failing? The land where female fetuses are being aborted is also the land of Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth, which resonates with powerful fetal imagery. This chapter examines fetal images within the literary folds of the Guru Granth. The basic premise here is that literature has the capacity to change both conscience and consciousness.

This chapter examines oracles and gurus, the two main types of ritual specialists in the healing cult of Bhairav. It shows that they are distinguished above all in terms of agency and patiency. The ...
More

This chapter examines oracles and gurus, the two main types of ritual specialists in the healing cult of Bhairav. It shows that they are distinguished above all in terms of agency and patiency. The oracles are the gods' patients: they subordinate their personal agency to that of the gods whose vessels they are, and their reputation and success depends on the degree to which they are thought to embody completely the god. The gurus, on the other hand, are masters of the spirits, and their reputation and success depends on the degree to which they are believed to control supernatural beings, turning them into their “disciples,” that is, their patients. The chapter introduces several oracles and gurus, mostly in their own words, and attempt to shows how such relations of agency and patiency work themselves out in practice.Less

Oracles, Gurus, and Distributed Agency

William S. Sax

Published in print: 2008-11-14

This chapter examines oracles and gurus, the two main types of ritual specialists in the healing cult of Bhairav. It shows that they are distinguished above all in terms of agency and patiency. The oracles are the gods' patients: they subordinate their personal agency to that of the gods whose vessels they are, and their reputation and success depends on the degree to which they are thought to embody completely the god. The gurus, on the other hand, are masters of the spirits, and their reputation and success depends on the degree to which they are believed to control supernatural beings, turning them into their “disciples,” that is, their patients. The chapter introduces several oracles and gurus, mostly in their own words, and attempt to shows how such relations of agency and patiency work themselves out in practice.

This chapter explores one exemplary portrayal of the death of the ninth guru of the Sikh tradition, Guru Tegh Bahadur, in the mid- to late-eighteenth century account of the life of the tenth guru, ...
More

This chapter explores one exemplary portrayal of the death of the ninth guru of the Sikh tradition, Guru Tegh Bahadur, in the mid- to late-eighteenth century account of the life of the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, by Kuir Singh, entitled gurbilās patshāhi das. The essay explores how the idea of religion has been imagined and expressed through the portrayal of this important incident in Sikh history. Particular attention is paid to how the religious difference is described and standards for comparison between religions are articulated, suggesting the comparability/commensurability of religious traditions and, therefore, an underlying common notion of the religious that supplies grounds for comparison. It also discusses the issue of conversion.Less

An Idea of Religion : Identity, difference, and comparison in the gurbilās

Anne Murphy

Published in print: 2012-03-08

This chapter explores one exemplary portrayal of the death of the ninth guru of the Sikh tradition, Guru Tegh Bahadur, in the mid- to late-eighteenth century account of the life of the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, by Kuir Singh, entitled gurbilās patshāhi das. The essay explores how the idea of religion has been imagined and expressed through the portrayal of this important incident in Sikh history. Particular attention is paid to how the religious difference is described and standards for comparison between religions are articulated, suggesting the comparability/commensurability of religious traditions and, therefore, an underlying common notion of the religious that supplies grounds for comparison. It also discusses the issue of conversion.